Fall at Crawford Oaks
Much to Munchmix’s chagrin, I accepted a job to tend a tasting room on November 3, a Saturday. I encouraged him to chase after a local hike while I worked and suggested we hike on Sunday. He moped a little. Saturday came and so did hours of rain. It wasn’t happy, Oregon mist rain. No. This was torrential. At the vineyard I found my little car’s tires spinning out in the freshly re-hydrated mud at one especially steep part of the driveway. 
A few folks braved the weather to visit and taste the wares.
Then came Sunday. Sunday we struck off in late morning for the Gorge. It was a truly glorious fall day and I couldn’t help but tease how my work on Saturday spared us a truly miserable soggy day of hiking. Driving over the bridge to the Washington side of the Gorge we remarked to each other how still the waters of the Columbia seemed to be. We made our way to Crawford Oaks, near Horsethief Lake. Upon arrival we were greeted by an enticing view of a small waterfall. At the trail board, we noticed box elder bugs
seemed to be gathering for some kind of national convention. We also noticed another curiosity: none of the trails showed mileages. The park is relatively new, but this was curious.
Ascending from the parking lot we enjoyed a view over the Columbia toward Mt. Hood and then the switchback pointed us Eastward until it curved to the North. First maples and then oaks showed us their late fall colors of 
yellow and a little orange. The trail was relatively quiet. Three happy bicyclists greeted us as they darted past. Later we passed a lady riding horseback. The wide ear-to-ear grin on her face said it all.
Dried up balsam root hinted at some the spring show of flowers and we were very surprised to see lupine still bearing stalks of purple flowers here and there. Along the way we encountered a handful of others out for a walkabout. Our trail seemed to be about a four mile-loop.
Crawford Oaks was an easy leg-stretcher over beautiful open hills with overlooks of the Columbia.
I’m looking forward to a spring return!
https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/columbia-hills-state-park-crawford-oaks/
